A long-forgotten 1950s tourism proposal has resurfaced amid renewed debate about transport links to North Stradbroke Island, with a local reader highlighting ideas that once included an underwater glass walkway and cable transport across the island.
In response to recent coverage of historic bridge proposals to Minjerribah, reader Angela Puata drew attention to a 1957 concept that routed visitors via Peel Island and envisioned an underwater glass walkway through its surrounding reef.
Ms Puata said the original drawings from the era also revealed another striking feature — the inclusion of the sand-mining cable line that once operated between Dunwich and the island’s interior.
“Interestingly in the drawing, the sand-mining cable line from Dunwich to ‘Tazitown’ is included,” she said.
The cable system, used during the island’s mining era, carried buckets of sand across Stradbroke Island from the main beach to Dunwich.
Ms Puata said the concept could offer inspiration for modern, low-impact transport as Brisbane prepares for the 2032 Olympic Games.
“I’m surprised that with the Olympics looming, that there has been no suggestion to revive the idea of these old cable lines,” she said.
“They used to carry sand in buckets across the island from main beach to Dunwich, but a 21st century version could do the same for tourists — carry them across the island from ferries to the surf beach.”
The comments add another layer to the long and often contentious history of infrastructure proposals for North Stradbroke Island, which have ranged from bridges and tunnels to cableways and ferry expansions.
While none of the historic ideas progressed beyond the concept stage, they reflect decades of tension between improving access, promoting tourism and protecting the island’s fragile natural and cultural values.
With major global events approaching and renewed focus on visitor movement across South East Queensland, Ms Puata’s reflections highlight how past visions continue to inform present debates — and raise questions about whether old ideas might yet find new life in a different form.
